AYREON was born two decades ago Arjen was suddenly and inexplicably overwhelmed by a compulsion to create rock-operas. This was back in the 1990s, the era of grunge and alternative rock, so the idea of releasing a rock opera was unthinkable to most sensible people. Yet history has shown that Arjen’s creative impulse was not only a personal triumph, it spearheaded a whole new era of rock operas.

Flash forward to 2010, and Ayreon has won Arjen so much critical acclaim that he can now draw from a vast pool of vocalists and musicians who are eager to work with him. The artists on an Ayreon album are all carefully hand-picked by Arjen to be the perfect musical fit for the role he has in mind. They also need to be enthusiastic about the prospect:

Every artist I contact has to be into Ayreon from the start. They have to be excited about my music, share my vision for the project and want to get involved emotionally as if it were their own. If I get the impression that they’re only ‘in it for the money’ or publicity, I will ask someone else. I simply can’t work like that!